


Midnight Roulette

by hawkesquad



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-03
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-28 19:27:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12613740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawkesquad/pseuds/hawkesquad
Summary: Jesse McCree 2: Electric Boogaloo AKA the one where Jesse gets lucky a lot.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic's main pairing is dependent on what people want. I have a twitter poll for it but let me know what you want in the comments or by voting on my poll here: https://twitter.com/cumsenshi/status/926298142122811392
> 
> Options are McHanzo, McGenji, and McSombra. All will be featured, one will be endgame. If you want something else instead feel free to let me know and I may write a drabble for that as an AU of this fic.
> 
> The only thing I can promise you is well written porn eventually.

Sweat trickled down Jesse's back, leaving damp, itchy lines over his skin. His boots were too hot, his aching feet hanging over the water far more insulated than he wanted. If it weren't for the dubious color of the lake and its even worse reputation for being filled with leeches and other horrible shit, he'd have stripped down and jumped in in a heartbeat.

Reyes ambushed him when he was just about to leave for the night and told him to come on the assignment, some surveillance gig, but failed to mention the humidity or the mosquitos. They spent 14 hours in a car driving nonstop and then Jesse was sweating to death outside this little podunk cabin with the Gabe's voice in the back of his mind.

“Just tell me if you see anything suspicious.”

That monster was inside with the swamp cooler—however shitty it may have been, it had to be better than this—poring over data and local video feeds. Jesse tugged his collar to let in some hot, humid, stinking air.

And looked out at the greenest, leechiest lake he'd ever seen.

He considered just wading in for a minute. He'd considered it about 183 times in the last hour. Which was a record low in times per hour since they'd arrived three days before.

“Catch.” He had just enough time to whip his head around before the water bottle hit him square in the mouth. “Oh shit,” Reyes muttered, looking not exactly guilty but at least concerned.

He came out in jeans folded halfway up his calves, a white polo (free of sweat, the bastard), and a pair of sandals. He really just looked like a touristy dad. Jesse almost laughed in spite of the growing soreness in his nose. He picked the water bottle up from where it'd landed on the ground, dusted it off, and started chugging. It was cold enough that it stung on the way down but Jesse didn’t care.

He came up for air, breathing easy for the first time in hours. “Any chance you got about a tub of this, Reyes? I could really use a dip.”

Gabe scoffed. He came and sat beside Jesse, pulling his sandals off as he did and setting them back a few feet from the edge.

“Yeah, I don't recommend the lake,” he said. “Just a thought. Unless you wanna be a swamp monster, in which case go for it.”

“Y'know, that's been a longtime dream of mine.”

“Based on the usual smell, I can tell.”

“Thanks, I try.”

It was almost peaceful when he wasn't alone. The insects buzzing in the distance and the occasional sounds of fish breaking the surface of the water made for a nice background noise. The lake was even a little pretty as long as he didn't think too hard about it. It was still ungodly hot but he had to admit he was feeling better after the drink.

“So good news. Turns out we weren't needed here.” Gabe looked as tired as Jesse felt when he said it.

“Wait, what?! What were we even doing here in the first place? Am I finally allowed to know?”

Reyes turned and cocked an eyebrow. “Finally allowed to— McCree, I gave you a whole file on it.”

Jesse blinked. “No, you didn't.”

“Yeah, I really did.”

“Sir, you didn't do that.”

Reyes rolled his eyes. “Check your messages.” Jesse sighed, exasperated, pulling up his mail. Three health and wellness tip emails he hadn't looked at, one electronic birthday card from one of the other agents, and one...message from Reyes. Titled 'Insecure about your size? Try natural enhancement today!'

“You're an ass, sir.”

“Worth it.”

“That's timestamped like _two minutes ago_.”

“Yeah, I got that ready to go just before I came out. To be fair, it IS the mission report. You need to sign it before we turn it in.”

Jesse groaned. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and leaned back. “So really, why are we here?”

Reyes was finally starting to feel the heat himself. Jesse watched a bead of sweat run down his neck and dip into that awful dad polo.

“There were reports of a terrorist group organizing in this region. Unsubstantiated but we had to look in on it. The omnics in question were just small time thieves who got picked up for shoplifting today. Probably just trying to survive, truthfully. Well I mean, whatever they might've been, they're not a problem now.” He fanned himself. “Sorry to drag you along, just can't do these things solo. That's how you end up dead.”

Jesse nodded. As much as it sucked, he couldn't blame them for taking it seriously. Ignoring threats like that was how lives got lost. And besides, he didn't hate being stuck out in a secluded lakeside cabin with Gabriel Reyes. Of course, it would've been nicer if he'd actually spent more time IN the cabin.

“Well, hell,” he said simply.

“Mmhm,” Reyes replied.

“Does that mean we can go home?” He must've sounded as desperate as he felt because Reyes chuckled and nodded.

“We're gonna get some sleep and leave in the morning. Come take a shower, you really do smell awful.” He started to get up and Jesse just stared at him, mouth hanging open.

“There's a shower?!”

*

The shower in question was in an extremely weird part of the cabin, tucked off to the side in the closet. There was a fairly refined water filtration and venting system which made sense for a Blackwatch recon site, but of all the things to go out of their way to hide, the shower seemed like a weird choice.

Jesse had squeezed himself into it, no small task with his broad shoulders, and stayed in until Reyes popped his head around the wall and asked if he was planning on draining the entire lake himself.

He flopped back on the sheets of his twin bed, damp and cool finally, shirtless and wearing nothing but his boxers. He'd gone longer without showers--sometimes you had to depending on the mission--but he rarely felt as grimy and drained as he did this time.

Reyes was stretched out on his own bed, dressed in yet another dad starter kit, staring at the ceiling with an unreadable look on his face.

“What's on your mind, sir?” Jesse asked, not uncomfortable in silence but still eager to socialize after a few days of limited conversation. That and the look in Reyes's eyes made him nervous.

Gabe seemed surprised for a second but then closed his eyes and stretched. “Just this. You'd think with something like this, they'd do more recon before sending me. Morrison asked for me to look into it specifically though. It's just strange, is all.”

Jesse was actually shocked. The commander was more talkative than people gave him credit for, sure, but it wasn't like him to vocalize doubt, much less to Jesse. He'd been there a few years, sure, but he was still considered a rookie by most.

“You don't think someone's trying to mess with you, do you?” He posed the question tentatively. The moment was exciting and fragile. If he pushed too hard, Jesse was afraid it would crack and Gabe would stop.

“No. Not really. Maybe. Even if they are, I can't say I really know what anyone would get out of this.” Gabe looked over at him, dark eyes on Jesse's. He suddenly felt a bit self-conscious about his state of dress. “Cards.”

Jesse wasn’t following. “Cards, sir?”

Reyes popped out of bed and trotted to his bag, kneeling down and searching through it until he produced a slightly worn pack of cards.

“It's still bright out so it's too early to sleep anyway. Get your ass out of bed and play me.” There was a table in the room, the one that was holding most of the limited notes Gabe had taken during his surveillance and the computer he used. He pushed everything to one side and carefully rotated the table so it was sticking out from the wall.

Jesse just watched. Reyes had such erratic energy sometimes, it made him tired just watching. He didn't even feel like moving, his body begging him to stay in bed.

He managed to motivate himself to sit up just in time for Reyes to come straight toward him. He grabbed the foot of the bed and pulled it hard over next to the table.

“What the shit, sir?” Jesse said it before he meant to and Reyes quietly chuckled.

“There's only one chair,” Reyes pointed out.

“Uh, right. Course.” Jesse sat there, the table inches away. He couldn’t deny having that much space behind him made him feel like a real king among men. He capitalized on the moment, stretching comfortably and twisting so his legs were off to his side. It was actually incredibly uncomfortable to hold but he couldn’t resist the urge to taunt Reyes. “How’s that chair treating you, sir?”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. You look like an idiot.” He dropped a stack of cards in front of Jesse and then himself. The game was poker because in spite of Gabe’s best attempts, McCree didn’t have the attention span to learn anything more complicated unless it involved a revolver. Eventually Jesse dropped his legs in defeat, trying to be subtle but earning a laugh from his commander which he did his level best to ignore.

That said, he was a poker prodigy and the luckiest person Reyes had ever met. He won most of their games and by the time the sun was setting, Reyes would hardly speak to him except to bark his hand out.

When it got too dark to play without turning on a light they called it quits and decided sleep was the better part of valor. That night, Jesse dreamed of jackpots. Reyes dreamed of shadows moving on the surface of murky water, too blurry to make out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse wasn’t sure why the waist height glowing sign outside the bar was currently pressed against his face but the warmth was nice so he just let it happen. It was his 23rd birthday and he’d gotten sloppy drunk. He could see Reyes’s disapproval in his mind’s eye for a moment until it turned into a sexy pinup and then into a chicken sandwich.
> 
> Goddamn, he could eat.

Jesse wasn’t sure why the waist height glowing sign outside the bar was currently pressed against his face but the warmth was nice so he just let it happen. It was his 23rd birthday and he’d gotten sloppy drunk. He could see Reyes’s disapproval in his mind’s eye for a moment until it turned into a sexy pinup and then into a chicken sandwich.

Goddamn, he could eat.

He pushed himself up off the sign he was leaning on— _oh_ —and made his way down the street. There had to be a diner around here somewhere, things that big didn’t just walk away.

He thought dimly about earlier. “Go ask Angela to party or something, I’m busy.” His CO had ignored all of his invitations. Jesse even resorted to using his best puppy face, one Reyes helpfully informed him was “pretty weird looking on a grown man,” and when that didn’t work he just rolled his eyes and left. Gabe’s voice followed him down the hall, a shout of, “Happy birthday, kid. Have a good time.”

Angela for her part was literally elbow deep in some sort of gel in a sealed room surrounded by guards, so he didn’t even bother. She saw him when he peeked in, though, and mouthed a cheerful happy birthday to him. He grinned and left.

He thought about asking his old rookie squad, but even on the best of days they were coworkers and never friends. There were the members of Overwatch proper he could’ve invited, sure, but the only one who seemed to really enjoy his company was the good doctor.

So he cut his losses and decided to go by himself. _To hell with them. I know how to have a good time._

He propped himself up against the wall just outside the diner he’d managed to stumble his way toward, the smell of fry grease and, yes, chicken sandwiches singing to him. If he could just master those last several steps.

“Not feeling well?” The voice was familiar. He looked up into Angela’s smiling face. She reached out a hand to him which he took gratefully.

“What’re you doing here?” If Jesse slurred it, she didn’t say anything.

“It’s your birthday, isn’t it? I was too busy to ask earlier but I’d like to join you, if that’s okay.” Angela “Mercy” Ziegler, the only member of Overwatch to be openly friendly toward him. Well, he wasn’t actually sure how the others felt. They treated him well enough but there was undeniable nervousness there. She had none of that, just simple kindness.

“I’d be happy to have you but I mean what’re you doing _here?_ You watching me, doc?”

He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she chuckled.

“Reyes was kind enough to point me your way, actually. From there it was a matter of following the smell of food. Oh!” She rifled through her pockets for a moment and produced a small bottle of clear liquid. “This might help.” She handed it to him and he raised an eyebrow.

“What kinda drink is this?” He turned the little phial over in his hand.

“A deadly, deadly poison. It has seeped through the bottle and is already in your skin. I’m afraid you have just minutes left to live.”

Jesse grinned. “Well, in that case, I’m glad I get to die standing next to you.”

Angela just laughed, eyes darting away from his. “It’ll sober you up a little. It might make you feel better.”

“Aww,” Jesse sang. “Am I no fun like this?”

She shook her head and looked back at him. “It’s easier to keep down food when the room isn’t spinning,” she said, matter of fact. “Don’t worry, it won’t make you completely sober. I wouldn’t want to undo your hard work, Jesse.”

His name on her tongue was pleasant. He always felt calmer around her. He uncapped the medicine and tossed it back. It was completely flavorless and almost immediately he started feeling a little more in control.

“Wow.”

She laughed, nodding and taking his arm in hers. “Shall we?”

They sat down in the diner and ordered two of everything. On his salary he’d be hard pressed to get anything more than a meal and a drink, but Mercy was a lot higher up on the food chain than he was and she insisted. So they—mostly Jesse—glutted themselves on every fried food imaginable, both on and off a stick.

He had something purple that looked like it was moving and the horrified look on her face when he swallowed a bite made him wonder if he’d just eaten some kind of garnish or maybe someone’s pet. It tasted pretty damn good anyhow.

As the night wore on and he sobered up more, they laughed and shared stories about the things they’d done. The non-classified things, anyway. He told her about the leech lake and she told him she was working on some sort of flesh—no, _infection_ -eating nano gel that would help wounded soldiers recover quickly and stay well in the field tents. She was a hell of a scientist at her age. At any age really.

She was as good as her word when the bill came and he sheepishly thanked her.

“It’s your birthday, Jesse! Don’t be shy. I’m glad we can spend time together.” She crossed her hands in front of her and smiled. “It’s been too long since I’ve been out.”

Come to think of it, Jesse couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her anywhere but her lab. She was never even free for the rare, on-base pizza night that Reyes wouldn’t admit to throwing for his junior members. He didn’t see her in the halls, even. It was only when he had to go to her.

“Well, then, doc, it’s good to see you out like this. You fit right in with that happy look on your face.” Jesse smiled at her.

Did she blush? He must still be a little drunk.

They left the diner, Jesse putting down his best attempt at a sizeable tip. If he couldn’t pay Mercy, he’d at least do right by the staff.

They went to a movie that was showing across the block. Her eyes lit up as they passed so he pulled her in, not even glancing at the title. He could cover a movie ticket at least.

It was some cheesy horror flick about omnic ghosts. He spent the better part of the film trying not to be too obvious when he jumped. He grabbed what he thought was the armrest instinctively and realized after a moment that the strange feeling was his hand clamping down on Angela’s where an armrest should have been. She just snickered when he withdrew it apologetically. She pulled his hand back and put her hand gently on top of it, giving a squeeze.

The movie ended and Mercy clapped, a feat which was met by only moderate jeering from McCree.

It was nearing on three in the morning and the two began to head back to base. It wouldn’t be a long trip; there were several secret entry points that let them travel undetected in almost no time. Still, they took the long way to one of the further access doors.

“I had fun tonight, Jesse. Did you?”

“Oh, you have no idea. You’re way better company than Reyes. Don’t tell him that, he’ll get jealous.”

She laughed. “I’ll be sure to keep that just between us.”

As they walked he felt her warmth beside him. She was walking perhaps a bit too close, but he didn’t mind. He liked her presence and she was the closest thing he’d made to a real friend since he got there.

Her shoulder brushed his and then her hand. No, wait, her hand was slipping into his.

“Do you mind?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“No, it’s fine.” He held it as they walked.

It seemed impossible to talk just then. They were too close to the entry point anyway, and for that he’d have to let go of her so they could go in one at a time.

Words eluded him up to and through the point. A few minutes later they’d arrived back on base via subterranean bullet train and it was time to wish her goodnight.

“Let me walk you to your room,” he offered. She smiled at that, nodding.

She didn’t reach to hold his hand again. He wondered what that moment had been and if it was gone forever.

When he left her at her door it was with a hug, a wave, and one final birthday wish.

Nothing ever came of it. Soon she had her hands full with a man who was little more than a corpse when he came in and he needed her near constant care even after she’d performed several surgeries on him. Jesse hadn’t had time to even ask and they both had much bigger concerns.

When the man had actually recovered, physically if not emotionally, they were informed he’d be joining Blackwatch. All five and change cyborg feet of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little light, possibly one-sided McMercy because as a Mercy main with a big ass crush on McCree, I had to.


End file.
